Process of making a combined bolt and grease-cup from sheet-metal blanks.



G. W, Bum-2M PRooEss 0F MAKING A GOMBINBD Bour AND Gamm: uw FROM SHEET METAL mums.

PPLTIN FILED NOV. 1511, 1 1,054,669. at-enteu Mew.l 111913,

WTNESSES:

G. Ew; Ifociass or MAKINGAGOMBINBD new fammi: we SHEET METAL BLANES.

APPLIGATIOH HMH! HOV. 5, 1911.

1,054,669. Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

i SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. w. BOWEN. i FBUESS OF MAKING A COMBINED BOLT AND GREASE ODEP FROM SHEET METAL BLANKS.

APPLIGATIOII FILED N07. 6, 1911.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

RNEYS G. W. BOWEN. PRGGESS 0F MAKING A COMBINED BOLT AND GEEASB GU? vEROM SHEET METAL BLANKS. APPLICATION FILED N'ov. s, 1911. l j yyga Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

4'snnBTsHmEnT 4.

WH'N ESSES.'

j NvENToR ATTORNEYS GEORGE W. BOWEN, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK PROCESS OF MAKINGVA COMBINED BOLT AND GREASECUP FROM SHEET-METAL BLANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Y VPatent-ed Mar. 4f, 1913.

"ation led November S, 1911. Seria1 No.,65B,799.

To all 'who/n, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BOWEN, of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented a new 'and useful Process of Making a Combined Bolt and Grease-Cup from Sheet-Metal Blanks, of which the followingsr is a specification.

This invention has for its object n process of producing a combined hollow sheet metal bolt and grease cup which is particularly applicable for use as a spring bolt, that is, a bolt for connecting the leaf springs of a vehicle to a link or to another leaf spring; and it consists in the process or method of forming such combined bolt and grease cup as .hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention reference is and forming operations, each of the sections containing two views illustrating the .begrinning; and the end of the operation. Fig. 1l is a fragmentary View of a s ring and shackle showing one use for this slieet metal bolt and grease cup. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view on line Iv-A, Fig. 1l. Fig. 1.73 isa fragmentary View of the bolt seen in Fig. l2, showing one end thereof in elevation. Figs. 14 and l5 are detail Views ol slightly modified forms of bolts..

This process tor forming hollow elongated sheet metal bolts includes as one of its steps decreasing; the diameter of a tubular blank by pushing the blank, which is-closed at one end, into a cylindrical reduci'nfr die by applying pressure to the edge o? the open end of the tubular blank and thereby thickening and compressing the wall o-the resultant tubular article, as the blank is forced into the die, and supporting the tubular blank externally prior to its entrance into the cylindrical reducing die, in order to accuratelyv ide the blank into the die and prevent bu ling of the blank.

In the firststep of my process the tubularv blank is formed from a disk of sheet metal into a cup-shaped blank, and in the second step this cup-shaped blank is drawn out into a tube by forcing the cup-shaped blankinbo a reducing die by a punch bearing against the inner face of the bottom of the cupshaped blank, and repeating the drawing operations in successive reducing dies until an elongated tube is formed which is closed at one end, and is of a Vlength somewhat shorter than the required lengt-h of the lin-A ished bolt. Usually the bolt is formed .with a cup-shaped head at one end and with a thread receiving nipple at its other end of lcssdiamcter than the major part of the bolt. The cup-shaped head is formed by removing the pressure from the upper edge of the tubular blank before the blank is pushed to its full extent into the reducing' die, the supporting die forming an enlargement at the upper or outer end of the cylindrical die.; and the thread receiving nipple is formed byi'rurther reducing the diameter of the advance or lower closed end of the tube, as the tubo approaches the limit ot' its movementinto the die during the pushing operations. Preferably the dies for use in the pushing operations are provided with knock-out pins at their lower or inner ends, which serve as abutments against which the closed ends of the tubes are pressed. The abutments cause the metal to How backwardly and further thicken and toughen the barrel'portions of the tubes, said abutment-s also determine with4 accuracy, the length of the bolt. l

la carrying out this process I usually employ the steps illust-rated in Figs. 1 to l0 inclusive. In seine cases, however, someV of the steps may be omitted. in Fia'. 1, l is a sheet metal blank, and 2 is a reducing die; 3 is a punch for engaging the interu mediate part of the sheet metal disk l, and tory-ing the disk intothc 'reducing die forming a cup-shaped blank'or shell 4. The cupshaped blank 4 is then placed into a cylindrical reducing die' 5 and further drawn out by a punch 6 bearing on the inner face or' the bottom of the cup-shaped blank il,

forming the tubular blank 7. The drawing 'operations are repeated in successive cylin: drical reducing dies 8, 9 and 10, Figs. 3, Il and 5, with which punches 11,12 and 13 coperatie to form the tubular blanks 14,15 and 16 respeetively, these drawing operations being repeated. until. the resultant tubular blank 16 is somewhat shorter than the length of the required article. In working some metals, and in bolts of dil'erent sizes, 'the mimber -ot drawing operations may be varied as the nature of the work requires. As seen in Fig. G, the tubular blank 16 result-ing from the last drawing operation, is subjected to a pushing operation by being forced into a reducing die 18 by a punch 19 bear ing on the upper edge of the, tube 16, the die 1S being vsurmounted by a supporting die 20 of the same internal diameteras the external diameter of the tubular blank 16,

, the die 20 supporting the blank 16 externally to guide the blank into the reducing die and prevent buckling of the tubular blankv 16. rlhe lower end of the supporting die. forms an enlarged cavity 21 at the upper `or outer end of the reducing die, by means of which an enlargement 'or cupshaped head ,22?is i-prined on the resultant tubular blank 23. vided with. a portion which extends into, and enga'g s, the inner face ot' the walls of said enlargement and also causes the walls below said enlargement to be thickened, compressed and therefore toughened. The pushing operations may be repeated. until :a tube of the required length and thickness is l'ornied. As seen in Figs. 7 and 8,

. additional successive pushing operations are shown, and in Figs. 7 and 8, 24 and 25 are reducing dies; 2G and 2T are punches co- 'operating therewith and bearing on the upper edges of the blanks 23 and 29 respec tively, in the same manner that the punch 19 engages the upper edge of the blank 16. 30 and 31 are the supporting dies which engage only the cup-shaped enlargen'ient. The last of the pushing operations results in the tube The tube is subjected to a similar pushing operation, as shown in Fig. 9, Alor 'forming a thread receiving nipple at the .lower end of the tube, and also for perfecting the enlargement or cup-shaped head. This pushing operation is eleoted by the reducing and supporting' dies 33, 34 and punch similar to the dies and punches shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, and the die 33 is formed with an additional reducing portion 3G at its bottom for forming a thread receiving nipple 3T in the 'resultant tube i258. The tube 38 may be subjected to additional pushing and redlicing operations the purpose of perfecting the article, as illustrated in Fig. 10, in which 39, 4() are the dies and 41 is the punch acting on the' tube 38. These additional pushing or tin ishing operations upset the part of the shell forming the bottom of the head and reduce in diameter a part of the shell in the vicinity or its closed end by pressure ap lied to the interior of the shell in the vicinity of the i bottom of the head and to the open end of Preferably the punch 19 is pro the shell. Such additional pushing or nishing operations result in the bolt 42 which is substantially the form of the finished article the body portion of the bolt being usuallyat least three times the length of the head. ln the pushing operations shown in Figs. 6 to 10 .inclusive the dies are provided with abutments or knock-out pins 43. The bolt 42 is case hardened, and pel'- i'orated as at 44, Fig. 12, the nipple 37 thereof threaded for receivinga nut 45. and the enlarged cup-shaped head 46 is suitably threaded for receiving a cap or closure 47. The cap or closure may be of any suitable form, size and construction and is shown as threading into said cup-shapedhead, and as provided with means as a follower or plunger' 48 movable therein for forcing the grease into the bolt and out through the perforation 44. This plunge* 4S as here shown is operated by a screw 49 extending through a threaded opening in the plunger, the screw being held from endwise movement and having a handle 5() located outside of the closure.

ln Figs. 11 and 12 I have shown one use for my sheet metal bolt in which two of my bolts arev shown as connecting leaf springs 51 and 52 to a shackle or link In order to prevent the bolt from turning the bolt' inay be formed with corrugations 54 adja' cent the head, Figs. 1.2, and 13, or the head",A thereof may be formed with a non-circular' portion which fits a complement-al socket in the link or shackle. As seen in Fig. 14 the head may be formed with a hexagonal base 55 which lits a complementary shaped socket in the link, or as seen in Fig. 15 with a transversely extendingtenon 56 formed by cutting away opposite` portions of the'I bottom of the head as at 57 along parallel' chords, which tenon lits av complementedl groove in the link. These corrugations or the non-circular bases of the hea s may be formed with dies during the formation of the bolt or may be afterward cut by mafchine tools. However, the use of my bolt is not limited to springs, but obviously the bolt may be used in other situations as for instance as the bearingsfor the pulleys of pulley blocks, or for wheels as idlers of agricultural and other machinery, and trolley wheels, etc.

Heretot'ore spring bolts have been formed by boring out a solid bolt and attaching a grease cup thereto, and by my process a radically new article, such as that shown in Fig. 12, is formed for which a' divisional application will be made.

What I claim is:

1. The hereinbefore described process of forming from sheet metal the described article having a hollow head and a body ortionprovided with an axial bore close at one end and opening at its other e into Lacasse the head, thel body -portion beingiof less diameter and of greater length than the y heed, consisting in the following steps; (l)

drawing the dat blank into .a cup-shaped slieil; (2) elongating and reducing the diameter of the shell to the maximum diam eter or" the inished article by' forcing the shell successively into dies of gradual decreasing diameters by pressure applied to vthe inner closed end of the shell; and (3) step-2 the part of the shell which is to form the side wall of the head, by successively pressing the part of the shell to be reshaped intov apluraiity of dies of gradually decreasing diametersby pressure applied to the edge of the shell at its open enti, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The hereinbefore described process of forming from sheet metal the described article having a hollow head with a substantially dat bottom Wall and albody portion provided with an axial bore closed 'at one end and opening at its other end into the head and having' a portion in the vicinity of its closed end of less diameter than the major portion thereof, consist-ing in the steps as follows: (l) drawing a flatblank into a cup-shaped shell; (2) elongating and reducing the diameter of the shell to the` by forcing the shell successively into a plurality of dies of gradually decreasing di ameters b pressure a plied to the inner closed en gating, decreasing in diameter and thickening the wall of the shell forming the body part of the article, and the part forming the bottom of the head, While maintaininggv substantially at its original diameter resnlta ing from step 2,'the part of the shell `forming the side wall of the head, by successively pressing the part of the shell to be reshapedof the Shel (3) further eloni,

into a plurality of dies of gradually de" creasing diameters by pressure applied to -tlie edge of the shell at its open end; and (e) finally upsettingf-gt-lie part of the shell' forming tlierbottoni of the head and reduoing iu'diameter apart of the shell 'in the vicinity of its closed end, by' forcing the 55 shell into a dievli'aving a part 'conforming to the shape ofthe finished head of the article, a part of the diameter of theV majo: part of the body of the article andra artl of reduced diameter, by pressure app ied to the interior of theshell in the Vicinity of the bottom of the head and to the open end ofthe shell. l

In testimony whereof, i hereunto signed my naine vin the presenf -,0f two? sttesting witnesses, at Syracuse', in the county of Gnondaga, in the State of New York, this 20th day of October, 1911. A f GEORGE W. BOWEN., Witnesses: v

S. Davis,

maximum diameter of the finished article L. M. Davis. 

